Lasting three hours, the annual meeting and board election for all even-grid and two at-large seats took place at Summit Brewery on Montreal Circle, with seven of the openings on the council drawing at least two candidates apiece. Neighbors for a Livable St. Paul, which had opposed medium-to-high density development at the Ford site, introduced a slate of endorsed candidates but won only a single at-large seat by three votes.

The event drew some 200 participants, with remarks from Mayor Melvin Carter, St. Paul Council Member Chris Tolbert and three St. Paul Police commanders. Several longstanding members had reached their term limits, having served three consecutive terms, or were otherwise unable to run for re-election.

Despite their strong showing, the Sustain Ward 3 group took some criticism in the form of parody literature that was circulated before the vote. A print-out called them “eco-chic” proponents of the “quonset hut lifestyle.”

Frederick Melo was once sued by a reader for $2 million but kept on writing. He came to the Pioneer Press in 2005 and brings a testy East Coast attitude to St. Paul beat reporting. He spent nearly six years covering crime in the Dakota County courts before switching focus to the St. Paul mayor's office, city council, and all things neighborhood-related, from the city's churches to its parks and light rail. A resident of Hamline-Midway, he is married to a Frogtown woman. He Tweets with manic intensity at @FrederickMelo.

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